Temporomandibular Disorders

This chapter focuses on the assessment and management of disorders of the masticatory system. It presents a general but evidence-based approach to the diagnostic assessment and nonsurgical management of the most common temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). Between 65 and 85% of people in the United States experience one or more symptoms of a TMD during their lives, but the symptoms are self-limiting for most individuals and resolve without professional intervention. Reliable and valid diagnoses of the common TMDs are readily available for clinical and research use. The most valuable aspect of the diagnostic assessment is a thorough history; pain disorder diagnoses rely predominantly on the history, and the diagnosis of some pain disorders, such as headache, relies exclusively on the history. The majority of patients likely to present in a dental practice with a complaint of temporomandibular pain and dysfunction can be broadly categorized into muscle disorders, articular disc disorders, and disorders affecting the articular bones.